Back when she was an active Husky, the UConn freshman swept the National Player of the Year awards like she wanted to make it loud and clear—this girl named Paige Bueckers belonged at the top. And now that she’s officially in the WNBA? Well, no big deal… just the weight of the entire world resting comfortably on her shoulders! The Dallas Wings rookie has stepped into Clark’s shadow, trying to create her own unique identity, and at the same time, she is already being dubbed the next Caitlin Clark. That does sound like a lot! This is why all eyes are on Bueckers to see if she will glide into the league like Clark did, smoothly and with a few bumps. Or are the bumps about to get frequent, or is she gonna make the league her own ice-skating ground? 

Well, to be honest, it can never be all sunshine, and it was evident enough in her debut game with Dallas. Bueckers had her first song in the W against A’ja Wilson and her Las Vegas Aces on Friday. Her welcome happened in the most WNBA way possible, a far cry from her college days, and it might have even left a bruise. “It’s super surreal in terms of the turnaround from where I was two weeks ago to where I am today,” she said postgame. But make no mistakes, that bruise isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of how far Bueckers can stretch her arms and legs on the court now.

On the podcast In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams, the show host discussed the possibilities of the Dallas Wings contending this year. “They have the pieces,” she said, talking about how they added DiJonai Carrington to the mix. The five-foot-eleven shooting guard made the All-Defensive First Team last season and won the Most Improved Player award as well!

Not to mention, Arike Ogunbowale has been balling out consistently for Dallas ever since she was drafted. Her electric scoring bursts are only gonna get more frequent because of the presence of Bueckers. Or as Williams put it, “Arike finally has a point guard who can facilitate, pass first, who’s efficient.” However, even with all this praise for Dallas, there is one big thing that the show host pointed out.

There is a major area of improvement for the Dallas rookie that indicates growing pains: “I feel like Paige doesn’t necessarily have to score to be effective. She can also play really, really good defense.” Which we could see in broad daylight! She was getting caught in screens, and the physicality was maybe a tad bit too much for her. While she attacked the heart of the Aces’ defense in the first quarter, driving in from the left to float a smooth left-handed shot from about five feet out, she took a tough tumble to the baseline after the bucket.

The physicality even got to her as she questioned a no-call after attempting to spark a fast break, only to collide with Young, who swiped the ball and converted the play into two free throws for the Aces. The subsequent three personal fouls didn’t help her case, as she appeared visibly unhappy, according to some. All in all, screens and getting through them is something she added to her 2025 vision board. 

And there is no reason to worry. While Clark might have added some extra pressure on her rookie season, she is also serving as an example for the team. Clark experienced similar challenges last year, and the newly appointed HC isn’t shying away from learning from her videos. “We have that example (of Clark’s first season) to learn from already, and I think we’re prepared,” Wings coach Chris Koclanes said. “Paige is unique and special, and she’s prepared to be able to handle everything that comes her way, on and off the floor, and we’ll do everything we can to support her”. 

Her college run will only be a plus, as during Geno Auriemma’s twelfth championship push, Bueckers’ defense was a major reason they got through the March Madness tournament. She was an on-ball pest, getting clutch steals and important stops, and there’s no doubt that she will adjust to the professional game soon enough. So, yes, the team is ready to make all the changes around her that will help her settle well and ‘let her live’.

“You try to prepare and teach and put her in positions to be able to find success, and then you’ve got to let her go, and you got to let her live and let her experience it,” Koclanes had added. “So it’s a balance just feeling out what that ultimately ends up looking like.”

Why would they not? Bueckers has beckoned an impressive wave of economic growth for the organization through ticket prices and merchandise sales. She is set to make the team more than relevant in the basketball scene. What’s more is that she is also transforming the locker room!

Bueckers does not seem like a rookie in the locker room

There’s no mistaking that the 2024 draft class was absolutely necessary for the WNBA. Caitlin Clark and her fellow rookies brought in a wave of popularity, fans, and sales for the developing league at an important time. And with Paige Bueckers’ batch settling in this year, we’re hoping for more of the same!

And apparently, so are the teams! The Dallas Wings have taken steps to ensure that they’re maximizing profit out of the wave of attention they’ll get from Bueckers. Ticket prices have gone up substantially, and it is all part of the plan for the organization.

For example, the ticket prices in June have nearly tripled! The Wings v Fever tickets are going for as much as $625, and even the lowest is in excess of $300. This just goes to show how much of an impact the rookies have had on the game over the last two years, and how much faith Dallas is putting into Paige Bueckers.

And Bueckers has been meeting those expectations in ways you’d never expect from a rookie. As NaLyssa Smith put it, “Paige, she has been a great leader so far. No matter that she’s younger than us, she’s still our point guard..She’s able to get us in sets, get us organized, and still get her shots off and stuff like that.”

It will be interesting to see how the learning curve will be for Dallas and its batch of rookies this year. There’s no doubt that Paige Bueckers will end up being a superstar, but there’s a long road ahead for the Dallas Wings guard.